REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — President Biden abruptly ended his reelection campaign Sunday, sending shock waves through the political world and plunging the Democratic Party into an unprecedented scramble to choose a new nominee to face former president Donald Trump.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden, 81, wrote in a letter he posted to social media Sunday afternoon. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
In a separate social media post Sunday, Biden endorsed his vice president, Kamala D. Harris, to replace him as the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer ahead of its national convention Aug. 19-22.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden said in a post shared on X. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Biden’s exit leaves his party in an almost unprecedented position just months ahead of the Nov. 5 election. In a presidential race that has already been rocked by a felony conviction and an assassination attempt, the latest plot twist added to the sense of tumult that has gripped the nation’s politics this year.
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Even as the party appeared to be coalescing around Harris on Sunday, some lawmakers were advocating for a more open process to allow other potential candidates to compete for the nomination, further highlighting the turbulent impact of Biden’s decision. Harris, a former senator from California, would bring her own liabilities to the race against Trump, whom Democrats consider an existential threat to democracy. Her approval ratings have largely mirrored the decline of Biden’s since 2021, and her campaign in the 2020 presidential primary fell apart before voting began.
Notably, former president Barack Obama did not endorse Harris in his statement, which praised Biden and suggested that Democrats would ultimately find “an outstanding nominee.”
In a statement Sunday, Harris said she would be seeking to “unite the Democratic Party” and win the presidency.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said.
Harris, 59, is the first woman, Black person and Asian American to serve as vice president, and now she has the opportunity to become the country’s first female president. She received a rapid flow of endorsements Sunday from top Democrats, including dozens of lawmakers, multiple governors, key interest groups like the Service Employees International Union, former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Biden’s allies and critics responded to his announcement by publicly gearing themselves up for a new, unpredictable battle for the White House.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who had privately told Biden that his continued candidacy would harm Democrats’ chances, was among dozens of elected Democrats who praised Biden for stepping aside.
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being,” Schumer said in an emailed statement, which did not endorse Harris.
Trump attacked Biden on Sunday and pledged to undo much of his legacy in a post to his social media platform, Truth Social.
“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve — And never was!” Trump wrote. “We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly.”
Several Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), called on Biden to resign the presidency immediately, arguing that if he could not continue his campaign, he should not remain in office. In his statement, Biden made clear that he plans to serve out his term.
Biden’s announcement came as a shock to many of his aides and advisers, some of whom had appeared on television Sunday morning and insisted he was staying in the race. Biden, who is isolating with a case of covid, informed Harris, his chief of staff Jeff Zients and campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon of his decision on Sunday afternoon, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions. He told his senior White House staff of the decision at 1:45 p.m. The president’s statement was posted to X at 1:46 p.m.
“Last night, it was full speed ahead,” the person said, adding that Biden finalized his decision late Saturday with a small group of close aides.
Before Biden’s announcement, Harris’s staff had started preparing for her debate with Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance, according to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a confidential process. Biden and Trump were scheduled to face off in a second debate on Sept. 10. It is unclear if Trump and Harris will do so. If